OSP Senior Leadership Team

Kelly Fennington

Chief of Staff

Kelly Fennington is the Chief of Staff in the Office of Science Policy at the NIH.  In this role, Kelly provides a critical service in overseeing all administrative functions including personnel, contracts, and budget.  In addition to these duties, she provides oversight and management of the Institutional Review Board for the NIH All of Us Program. Kelly’s deep experience, friendly demeanor  and ability to solve complex issues has resulted in her leading several high profile special projects and activities. These include serving as the Executive Secretary to the Working Group for Ethical Considerations for Industry Partnership on Research to Help End the Opioid Crisis.  She also played a vital leadership role in the deliberations of the NIH Blue Ribbon Panel for the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts.

Kelly’s skills as a consummate problem solver and her dedication to service have been rewarded numerous time throughout her career.  She has been a recipient of the NIH Director’s Award, The HHS Secretary’s Special Act of Service Award and several NIH Office of the Director Awards.

Kelly’s NIH career began in 1995 as Special Assistant to then-NIH Director, Dr. Harold Varmus. She subsequently joined the Office of Science Policy in 2000 as the Special Assistant to the OSP Director.